Coming Home
by CharmingFamily
Summary: What would happen if Snow and Charming had passed through the wardrobe with Emma? If they had been able to raise her? Everything would have been totally different, and many things would have changed in Emma's life.
1. Chapter 1

She opened her eyes, inspecting the place. She was no longer in her place, in her world, in her home. She was in a totally unknown place, but a moan made her immediately reconsider.

She lowered her head to find her newborn baby, funky in her arms, clutching at her chest. She smiled tucking her baby and looking further forward, in order to consider the option of leaving wherever she was.

Snow White was in a forest, so she didn't hesitate to go out with care where she was sitting. Her baby cried in her arms, and Snow had to grab her closer to her chest, feeling cold all over her body.

"It's okay Emma." Snow whispered trying to calm her newborn daughter. She looked down at her and found her baby's eyes staring at her. "I'm sorry that it's chilly."

"Snow!"

She quickly turned around to find her husband running towards her. He wore a white shirt, where the part of his shoulder was full of blood. He was wounded, but he was there, running towards her.

"Charming!" Snow said once he was close enough. He looked down to see that their baby was fine. "She's fine, but... where are we?"

He raised his eyes and instantly to see her eyes, he moved closer to her and gently wrapped his family by his arms.

It was all very confusing. He had to fight with Regina's men, protecting his daughter and his wife. He got that Snow went into the wardrobe with Emma, and before Regina's men entered the room, he got to go through that wardrobe, too.

Their plan had been to perfection, but that didn't remove was the most painful thing he had to do. Let his friends, leave his world... although he wouldn't change what he did for nothing.

He could never live without Snow, without their baby.

"I don't know." He finally whispered, moving away from his wife to take one of her hands tightly. "But we'll find out."

Snow nodded as James dropped his hand to try to cover Emma more with her blanket. He again took Snow's hand and began walking with her slowly through the new place unknown.

Snow clung to his hand as they walked slowly. She couldn't walk very fast, her womb still hurt because of childbirth, but she knew they had to find somewhere safe for the night. The cold was becoming more intense. And certainly it was not safe for a newborn, barely covered with a blanket, was outside in the cold.

"Are you okay?" She turned her head to look at her husband and give him a small smile, trying to pretend.

"It's cold. But I'm fine." She lowered her head to look at her baby. Emma was asleep with all her naked little body covered by her blanket, her small head too, but her face was visible. "I don't want her to get cold, what can we do?"

James furrowed his brow, trying to find a solution. The cold was sifting through his body, it was totally horrible. He knew that Snow was lying to him, but he understood. He wouldn't admit that he was dying of cold, either. "I think you could put her against your chest."

Snow looked down at her newborn daughter, sighing. She slowly put her baby so that Emma had her little head under her chin. Gently, James helped her to cover Emma with her white blanket. Snow surrounded Emma's tiny body by her arms and pushed her daughter against her body and can feel the heartbeat of Emma. She smiled slightly when she heard the baby whimper in her sleep.

"Better?" James asked, with a small smile. Snow looked up and smiled, nodding. "We will find a cabin, I know." He whispered gently stroking her face. She smiled again although more weakly. "Are you sure you okay?"

"Charming," She sighed tired. "I just want to get a place for her. Please. I'll be fine, but she's a newborn."

"Alright, I know." He sighed, defeated and angry with himself for having to leave his wife to suffer, but she was right. They had to find a place for their daughter.

Slowly, James was placed next to Snow and circled her waist by his arm, trying to somehow ease her pain. She nodded slightly, looking at Emma again. She couldn't see anything that only the white blanket that was covering her. She could feel the soft cheek of her daughter on her skin and her breathing quiet and slow. Snow smiled slightly as James quickly pressed a kiss on her hundred, resting one hand on his daughter's little body wrapped.

"Everything will be okay." He whispered and she turned her face to him, to get into a real smile.

"I know."

She was so tired. She wouldn't stop walking, and she wouldn't show any sign of weakness, otherwise, James would stop their passage, and she couldn't leave her daughter more than she should in the cold. But she was so tired. Her stomach ached, her legs ached, and Emma had begun to mourn. She tried to calm her daughter, but nothing worked.

Maybe she was dying of cold.

"Oh gods, we need to find a place fast! She must be dying of cold!" Snow said totally worried and pressing her daughter to her body as possible.

"Over there!" James pointed his finger quickly, watching a small cabin in the distance. Snow quickly drew strength from either side and began to walk faster as James did. "Hello?" James shouted looking up at the windows covered by curtains, making unable to see inside. "Please, someone's there? We have a baby; we need to in, please?"

But there was no answer. James looked at Snow; she was shivering from the cold. She had nothing but her nightgown long white sleeved, but thin fabric. She and their daughter certainly needed a warm place to be.

"Snow, moves from there. I'm going to break the door down." He walked slowly to the door Snow, while she just looked surprised.

"Charming, are you crazy? This house must belong to someone!"

"Yeah, but no one answered. And I will not let that neither you nor Emma continue going cold." He said before kicking the door and get demolish. He took a few steps in and looked around carefully.

The cabin was dirty and old. They had some furniture that were covered, and the dust can could see significantly up. But in the living room had a big chair in front of a fireplace. That was perfect.

"Snow?" He turned to look for his wife, but she was already behind him, closing the door gently.

"You get Emma stop cry with that noise, Charming." She smiled crookedly and began to see where they were.

"Well, at least there is a fireplace." He walked to the fireplace and crouched in front of her, watching that there still had wood. "I'm going to light it."

"Oh yeah, please." Snow said getting closer to the big couch that was inside. She sat there and carefully sat her baby in her arms. "Hey, Emma." She smiled even more to see the beautiful eyes of her daughter. Clearly, her eyes were not yet defined, but they were just absolutely beautiful. It's could say it was a mixture of green and blue. "We're fine here, aren't we?" The baby yawned but quickly her brow furrowed and she began to mourn again. "Oh my god, what's wrong sweetie?"

Snow quickly felt her eyes fill with tears and looked up, trying to find an answer to Charming, but he was too busy trying to light the fire. The former Queen lowered her gaze to her baby again. She was so desperate to know what was causing her crying, but she couldn't find anything. Maybe she was not going to be a good mother.

"I don't know what you want." She whispered, feeling totally miserable. No doubt, she needed her mother at the time. She never had lessons on how to handle a baby, but once she heard something carefully.

Mothers will always know what their child needs.

"Emma?" She said finding her daughter's eyes again. This time, Emma stopped to mourn though her sweet eyes continued with tears. She began to move her little hands finding the long hair of her mother to hold on. Snow laughed slightly letting out a tear and accidentally she turned her gaze to her chest. Maybe it was that. Surely it was that. Her daughter was hungry. "Alright, now I know. Sorry for not realizing before my love." She pressed a soft kiss on her soft head before opening the buttons of her nightgown and gently brings the baby to her breast, leaving her to find her food.

"I did!" Snow raised his eyes to see her husband with a big smile on his face. She smiled back and waited for him to sit beside her to take his hand. "Oh, that's what happened. She was hungry."

"Indeed." Snow whispered turning her gaze to her daughter as James did. "She's so... perfect."

"Yeah, she is." James smiled even more bringing his finger to Emma's little hand. Quickly, Emma found her father's finger and wrapped it by her tiny hand. "We're going to start here."

Snow looked a little surprised at her husband. "We are?"

"Yes. We're going to need more, but we're going to get it." He added before Snow could make him remember that. "All that matters now is that we have a roof, and we are together." Snow grinned and he went to kiss her lips gently. "We did it." He whispered with a smile.

"We did it." She repeated with pride and tears in her eyes, now, of happiness. They had not gotten her happy ending, not yet. But they were going to get it, and the most important thing was that they had their daughter with them.

Both of them dropped their gaze to the beautiful creation product of their love. Their Emma was with her eyes closed and concentrated on eating while her parents watched her with fascination. But, after a few minutes, baby Emma finished her food and moved away of her mother's chest, looking up and finding her parents' eyes.

"Hey, you were entertaining, didn't you?" James joked still feeling his finger wrapped in a small hand. Emma yawned slightly but turned her gaze to her mother.

"Emma..." Snow whispered as if that word was the most beautiful word in the world. And indeed it was for her. "I promise you that we never, ever, going to leave you." Snow quickly felt a kiss on her cheek and smiled even more without taking her eyes of her little daughter.

They stood there in silence at the fire that lit and warmed them. They couldn't stop looking at their baby and love her more each passing second. And for surprise, Emma wasn't crying, just staring at her mother, then her father, as if she were recognizing them for the first time. And the truth was that she was doing it.

They had not had a moment's peace until then. First, Regina's men had entered the castle, and Snow was giving birth to Emma. Second, James had to fight with soldiers to protect his family. Third, they traveled through a wardrobe into another world completely unknown. And then they were outside in the cold, trying to find a place to stay. And they did.

Now they definitely had her daughter safe and sound. She was fine, she was not going cold, and she was with them. And so she was to be forever, because they would never lose her.

* * *

Emma took off her heels leaving them anywhere on the floor. She walked to the table that was in her living room and rolled her portfolio by either side. She left a box on the table and opened it, pulling out a cupcake and a blue candle. Gently, Emma placed the candle on the cupcake and lit it. Then she placed the cupcake in front of her as she bent over and put her arms crossed and her chin on them.

Emma kept her gaze on the candle for a few minutes. It was her birthday, and she was alone… again. She turned twenty-eight, and she knew what that means, but still, she didn't want to think about that. The blonde took a breath and closed her eyes, trying to think of a good wish.

"Another banner year." She whispered and then blow out the candle and let the darkness on her face again. But then, the doorbell rang.

Emma opened her eyes looking toward the door, surprised. Then she lowered her gaze to the candle, wondering if it was possible. She shook her head quickly and rose, heading for the door. She grabbed the handle and opened the door quickly.

There was no one outside, no one she could see with the naked eye. But she looked down for a second and saw a girl. A girl with long black hair, and brown eyes staring at her, though with some confusion. But Emma furrowed her brow. It was not normal for a child to appear on her door at this hour.

"Uhm, can I help you?" She asked a little confused at the silence of the girl. She furrowed her brow slightly, and Emma thought she recognized it elsewhere.

"Are you Emma Swan?" Emma frown in confusion.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"My name is Sophia." Emma stopped pursing her brow and looked totally surprised the girl, knowing what she surely would say next. "I'm your daughter."

* * *

_Emma awoke suddenly, feeling a great fear. There was a big storm outside, and she hated storms. So she got out of her bed and ran to find her blanket in her closet. She hugged her and left the room quickly. All the lights were off, except a light downstairs. Emma furrowed her brow puzzled and went downstairs, clutching her blanket. Once she reached the bottom step, poked her head into the kitchen. There was a light on._

_"No, we already gave her a lot of information; I don't want her to know that!" Her mother cried, making startle her. Emma opened her eyes in surprise and walked slowly into the kitchen, trying to listen more._

_"She needs to know." Her father said in another scream. Emma jumped again. Her parents never discussed. "She has the right."_

_"At ten years old?" Emma leaned closer and hid in the darkness of the entrance to the kitchen. "She doesn't need to know, David, why can't you understand?"_

_"How are we going to prepare her then?" Her father had lowered his voice now._

_"Prepare her? I am not preparing my daughter for anything. I won't teach her to fight for a war, are you crazy?" Emma saw her father rolled his eyes and a step closer to her._

_"She deserves to know. She has to break the curse. She has to know now that she's the savior."_

_"I am what?" Emma said first taking her parents' attention. Both of them were totally surprised. "I'll break the curse?"_

_Emma looked at her mother, waiting for a response, but she just stared at her. It was her father who came to her and bent down to her height, taking one of her hands. Emma turned her attention to him, watching him intently._

_"David..." Her mother said, but her father shook his head slightly. Emma looked at her mother; she had tears in her eyes. She looked back at her father waiting for the truth._

_"Yes." Her father said firmly. "You're the savior."_

_Emma blinked in surprise and couldn't help but look at her mother to seek confirmation. "Mama?"_

_"It's true." She said sighing and approaching her. Emma watched her mother crouching beside her father. She brought her hands to her face and caressed both of her cheeks gently. "Someday, you're going to break the curse."_

_"But..." Emma stammered, clutching her baby blanket. "I – I'm afraid."_

_"Don't worry." Her mother quickly said, shaking her head and letting out a tear from her eyes. "We're not going to leave you alone in that. In that or anything. We will always be with you."_

Emma opened her mouth to try to say something, but closed it quickly. The girl stared at her instead even with a small smile on her lips. Emma furrowed her brow and looked around; making sure the girl was alone. She lowered her gaze to the girl and moved her head to the side.

"What are you doing here? And alone?" Sophia smiled even more and walked quickly under her arm, entering the department. "Hey, hey kid, what are you doing?"

"We were talking out there forever?" She asked, turning around and looking at all the department stunned. "This is so cool!"

Emma looked out, meaning sure that no one was there. She closed the door and turned to look at the girl, crossing her arms. "I'll ask again. What're you doing here?" She knew she was being harsh, but shouldn't get out of that role. Otherwise, everything would go wrong.

Sophia smiled quickly, however. "You really look like her. She did that many times; look tough, arms crossed... yeah."

Emma swallowed hard trying not to unfold to this reference. She shook her head slightly, trying to get any thoughts approaching. "I'm waiting, kid."

"Oh!" Sophia jumped up with a smile. "And you say that, like him. He names me kid, too. I'm used to." She shrugged moving toward the table and taking an apple from the basket. "Apples? Really?" She returned her gaze to her mother, and noticing her hard stare, she left the block where it was.

"Okay, I'm calling the cops." Emma walked over and took her phone and began to dial the numbers.

"Yeah, do that. I'll tell you kidnapped me." Emma quickly dial numbers stopped and lowered her gaze to the girl, raising her eyebrows.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother."

"Yep." Sophia sat on a bench with a smile. Emma furrowed her brow and smiled half, taking a step toward the girl.

"Well, let's say I have a super power. I can tell when people are lying." She smiled again. "And you kid, are."

She started dialing the numbers again, and Sophia shook her head quickly. "No, please, stop!" Emma looked at her. "I want you to come home with me."

Emma sighed and lowered her arm. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sophia looked down and sighed. But she then smiled and took her backpack off her back and began to open it. Emma furrowed her brow as she put the phone in place and waited the girl finish what she was doing. Sophia pulled a book from her backpack and Emma opened her eyes in surprise, taking steps back.

"Oh, you know it." Sophia smiled leaving the book in her lap. "So, you know you must come home with me."

"I'm not going to do anything, kid."

"You're the savior!" Emma shook her head back a few steps.

"I'm not a savior." Emma whispered opening her eyes to find Sophia's brown eyes.

"Yes you are. It's your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings." Emma rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You must go home." And Sophia smiled immediately.

"Well, you have to take me."

Emma looked at the girl quickly. "What?"

"I'm ten, I have to go alone? They're going to kill me to come here alone."

Emma raised her eyebrows completely shocked. "They don't know you're here?" Sophia shook her head quickly. "Oh kid, you're in serious trouble."

"And so are you." Emma furrowed her brow without understanding. "You're going to take me home. My home is where they are."

And Emma quickly realized what the girl was saying. She should have known from the moment Sophia said she was her daughter. She would have to take her home, and she would have to face them.

"Where... where's your home?" Emma left her thoughts turning to focus on the girl in front of her.

"Storybrooke, Maine." Emma raised her eyebrows with an incredulous look.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" Sophia nodded slightly. And Emma sighed deeply. "Alright then… let's you back to Storybrooke."

* * *

_Emma came running to her house with a big smile on her lips. She didn't even bother to wait for her father to come in with her, because she really needed to show that to her mother. Little Emma ran to the kitchen and opened the door abruptly._

_"Mama! My teacher told me that I'm the best grade read!" She cried with pride. Her mother smiled and took off her apron to cook and approached her, wrapping her arms around her and lifting her off the ground._

_"I told you that you read very well." She whispered in her ear, leaving her on the floor again. Emma smiled as she felt her mother kissing her forehead. "And as your teacher congratulated, I'll give you a present." Emma's eyes lit up quickly._

_"What is it? What is Mama?" She asked with total impatience. Her mother laughed slightly and looked up at her back._

_"Hey, how was your day?" Her mother asked her father, who approached her and kissed her lips, leaving their daughter locked between them._

_"I'm here! And I want my gift!" Emma protested alienating parent. Her father laughed and stroked her head without looking away from her mother._

_"It was good, as always." Emma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, starting to hit the ground with her foot. "Alright then... let's give the Princess Emma her gift." And Emma looked up, at both of her parents with a smile._

_"What is it?"_

_Her mother looked up with a smile to her father and he left the room. Emma tried to follow him, but her mother quickly took her arm, holding her. Emma gave her a reproachful look._

_"Oh, Mama..."_

_"That's a surprise, okay?" She smiled, and Emma couldn't help smiled. She nodded and waited for her father to stop, but when the door opened, she quickly felt hands on her eyes and she couldn't see anything._

_"Papa, I can't see anything!" She said alarmed and concerned, but when she brought her hands to her eyes, she felt other hands. "Mama?"_

_"I want it to be a surprise. We have waited long for this, sweetheart." Her mother said behind her, and Emma smiled._

_"I want to see! I want to see!"_

_"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Her father asked mystery. Emma had rolled her eyes if they weren't covered, and her parents laughed slightly to know that._

_"Of course, Papa! I'm seven, I can do anything!"_

_"Not anything, young lady." Her mother said behind her and Emma laughed. "Well, here's a surprise."_

_Emma felt her eyes be uncovered and she opened her eyes blinking for better vision. She raised her eyebrows and stretched her hands to get her gift. Once she caught him, a great feeling of affection for this object filled her._

_"We did it." Emma raised her eyes to see her mother now standing next to her father, with a big smile and her eyes lit up. She smiled at them and looked down at the book again._

_It was a beautiful book. It was all brown, but the letters covers were gilded. The book was a little heavy, so she would have many stories to read. Emma smiled even more and turned her gaze to the top._

_"Once Upon A Time?" She looked back at her parents. "What's it about this book?"_

_"You know them as fairy tales, but... these stories really happened." Her mother said with a small smile._

_Emma looked down at the book and took it to her chest, hugging it tightly. Indeed, this book could become one of her most treasured possessions. Not as much as her beautiful blanket, but something like that. "I love it, thank you." She said looking at her parents with her eyes lit up._

Sophia turned a page of the book, and left it where she had found the beginning of the story of Snow White. Emma glanced what the child did, and to see where she stood, the blonde sighed. Sophia looked at her mother and looked out again.

"Are you nervous?"

Emma swallowed without removing her eyes from the front. Of course she was nervous. She wished with all her heart that she could leave the girl at home and go before they could see her, but it certainly wouldn't happen. She would find them, no doubt. And she couldn't be more nervous about that.

"Why should I be? Of course not." She responded defensively and trying to play it down, but that wasn't enough for her daughter.

"Don't worry, they love you. But... well, they are hurting, too." She whispered, turning her gaze to the book. Sophia furrowed her brow and looked at Emma. "Why did you leave?"

"I'm not talking about that with you." Emma responded quickly.

Sophia sighed slightly and turned her gaze to her book, pages starting to spend again. "I know why you left me with them, you know?" And Emma felt her heart contract rapidly, but she decided not to show any weakness. "You wanted to give me my best chance."

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but in her head she couldn't connect the words and say a prayer of them. "I – I..."

"It's okay. I'm not mad. Not now that I found you." She returned her gaze to her mother and seeing her face filled with confusion and fear and panic, she smiled.

They remained silent. Emma was deep in thought about how they would react, and Sophia's words couldn't stop to reason in her head. They still loved her, but they were hurt. And, her ten years old daughter knew she had left her with them because she had decided to give her her best chance. Everything was very heavy. Emma sighed trying to calm down, but soon focused her gaze on the sign that she had just passed.

_Welcome to Storybrooke._

Yes, her daughter had found her, and now she was going to find them. This was not supposed to happen in this day. But Emma furrowed her brow at the thought that maybe it was all meant. She had promised not to think about it, but she was turning twenty-eight, and if she didn't remember badly, her parents had said she was going to break the curse when she turned twenty-eight.

Emma glanced at the little girl sitting next to her, concentrated on the pages of the book. She would know that today was her birthday? Emma sighed turning her gaze straight ahead and thinking about that book.

She didn't think that one day she would see it again. She never wanted to see it again, among many things she never wanted to see again. This book which she had fallen in love at first sight, but... but then it all happened and she didn't see it again. But there was, at her side, on the lap of her daughter.

Her daughter whom she had left with them ten years ago, now she had found her. Emma furrowed her brow reconsidering the policy of her family. Anyway, Emma turned her attention to where she was driving.

Storybrooke. Where was Sophia's home... and so theirs.

In the distance, Emma began to see lights. She was getting closer until finally she was between the centers of town, she thought. It was very dark, like a ghost town. Emma looked somewhat surprised all and watching that no one was outside and how dark was that town.

"Okay kid, I need an address." She said looking out with her scowl.

"I'm not telling you."

"What?" She turned to see Sophia shrug. She quickly stopped the car in front of the restaurant of there and got out of the car, absolutely furious.

Once she ground the floor, a light broke on a pole. Emma looked shocked and confused towards the light, but her anger was so much that she decided not to care. The noise was heard another door slam and Sophia was quickly in front of her.

"Look, I just want to take you back to them, and leave."

"So, you will go again?" She clung to her backpack. Emma stared at her brown eyes and felt a lot of guilt. She had too rough with that sentence, but she had to do so.

"It's the best." She whispered, hoping the girl would understand. "Now, tell me the address of your house."

"Sophia!" A voice shouted from afar. Emma quickly recognized that voice.

Sophia ran from Emma and smiled widely to get close enough and jump into her grandmother's arm. Snow held tightly her granddaughter to her body and sighed with relief, letting her eyes close. Sophia smiled watching her grandfather approached them.

"I was so worried... where have you been?" Snow asked moving away from her granddaughter and taking her face with her hands, making sure there was no damage on any side. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Sophia!" David ran toward them and took his granddaughter in his arms as his wife did. Sophia caught her grandfather's neck by her arms but quickly turned away and looked at both of them.

"I found my mom." She said with a big smile.

Snow furrowed her brow and looked up at her granddaughter behind, watching her daughter standing in front of her distinctive yellow car. Quickly, she felt her eyes fill with tears. She was there, a few meters, just as she dreamed so many times.

Emma took a deep breath before walking toward them. She could have run away while they were intent on Sophia, but she couldn't. She was unable to see them again. So when she saw that her mother had seen her, and then her father, she knew she would face them.

Emma sighed and walked the last few steps that separated her from them. She placed her hands in her trouser pockets and shrugged, not knowing what to say. But she quickly found her mother's eyes and knew she should say something. "Hey." It was the only thing could leave out her mouth.

Snow opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly, not knowing what to say. She felt one, then another tear falling down her cheeks, and then she opened her mouth again, not believing she could say those words to her daughter. She never believed she could do it. "You're back."

Emma didn't know what to say to that. She had not planned for this to happen. This should not happen, but she was there, in front of her daughter and her parents. She couldn't tell her mother that she was going to go back, because she didn't want to cause more damage in them, and she knew they was not going to let her go. Not again.

"Emma." Sophia spoke for the first time. Emma quickly looked at her daughter grateful that she could withdraw for a second the look from her mother. "Happy birthday... this is my gift to you. I brought you back to your family."

Emma moved her eyebrows a little surprised at that. She knew it was her birthday, and she had it all planned. Smart girl. Sophia's smile was able to bring Emma to reality, and she raised her eyes to her mother's again. And before Emma could think, the words left her mouth.

"Yeah kid, I suppose so."

* * *

**This is a story that I began to plant me of what would happen if Snow and Charming came with Emma to this world, they would separate someday anyway? And I thought this fanfic.**

** I always wanted to imagine what it would have been if Emma had a daughter instead of a son, so Sophia is here. And, you can imagine her as a little Snow White, except for her eyes, her eyes are brown. I thought that if she's equals to young Snow, that would cause some problems on Regina.**

**And I can't wait to see your reviews and see what you think about this. Everything has an explanation, and all of you can give me some idea for the next chapter, if you want.**

**I'm sorry for spelling errors... if you know a Beta, just tell me, I would be delighted to have one!**

** Well, thank you very much for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_Snow closed her eyes letting out the tears she had been trying to avoid since she had awakened. Today Emma was turning twenty-six, and she was not with her. She sighed deeply, trying to control her tears, thinking what her little girl was doing at the time._

_She was thinking of her? In Sophia? In her father? She would remember them? Why she had not returned yet? Snow let out a sob and turned her gaze to the front, hoping to calm her anxiety._

_"Mom?"_

_Snow turned to see her granddaughter standing in the doorway of the living. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks looking more closely at Sophia, and what she was clutching. And for a moment, Snow thought she was seeing her seven years old daughter rather than Sophia._

_She got up from the couch and walked a few steps toward Sophia, with her scowl. She had the book that she and David had created for Emma. She believed she had kept that book very well... it was not supposed to Snow find, never._

_"It's true, isn't it?" She asked in a whisper causing more confusion in Snow. "You're Snow White, and... and he's Prince Charming. And… Emma is the savior, your daughter. My mom."_

_Snow couldn't believe this was happening. Sophia never would have known she was Snow White, and David was Charming and nothing about the curse and that her mother was the savior. They had told her that her real mother was named Emma, and she was very close to them. Nothing more. She must not know about this._

_"Sophia..." Snow whispered stepping closer to her granddaughter and stooping to her height._

_"I must call you Grandma now?" Sophia quickly interrupted her with a frown. Snow again felt tears in her eyes and furrowed her brow, letting out a small smile._

_"You can call me however you want." Sophia smiled widely and looked down at the book in her arms and then looking back at her grandmother._

_"I saw you and..." Snow could see the conflict in her granddaughter how she should call David. "Well, you're Snow White, and he's Prince Charming... and you two always find one other."_

_"Yeah." Snow whispered, letting out a few tears from her eyes. "Indeed, we did."_

_"Well..." Sophia freed her book one of her arms and took Snow's hand tightly. "I'm going to find my mom."_

_Snow laughed unintentionally; no doubt that was what she most wanted, have her daughter back to her, to find her, or she finds them, it didn't matter, all she wanted was her daughter again._

_And she turned her gaze to her granddaughter's brown eyes. She was so sure that Snow couldn't break her illusions, she had high hopes, and Snow was not about to discourage her granddaughter._

_"I'm sure you will."_

Sophia watched her mother and her grandparents. All of them were still, not moving a muscle. Sophia did not know Emma so much to guess what she was feeling, but she does could say something about her grandparents. She knew very well that her grandmother was waiting for this for long, so her grandfather, but she could always see the sadness in her grandmother's eyes whenever she spoke about Emma.

She loved her so much... but she was very hurt, too.

"So... we're going to be out here?" Sophia spoke breaking the awkward moment. "I'm starving." She raised her eyes to look at her grandmother.

Snow lowered her gaze to Sophia to find her sweet face. She smiled shyly and Snow knew that she besides trying to cut the awkward moment, she really was hungry. Snow smiled back and wiped her tears quickly, turning to find her husband's eyes.

He nodded his head slightly in understanding her eyes, and she turned her gaze to her daughter. She seemed to be completely lost, and Snow couldn't blame her. After ten years, she saw them again, and her own daughter had found her. And all this was happening on her birthday.

She shouldn't forget that today was her twenty-eight birthday. And since everything had happened, she couldn't wait to say those words to her daughter again.

"Happy Birthday." She said forming small smile. Emma smiled weakly and nodded slowly.

"Emma..." Snow saw her husband approaching steps toward their daughter carefully. He was so scared surely as her at she could go at any time. "I missed you so much."

She quickly saw Emma's eyes fill with tears, and her lower lip trembled as David was closer to her. And she couldn't see her face more when her husband wrapped his arms around Emma's body and hugged her tightly. And she let the tears come back out of her eyes.

She wish she could have the courage to do that. To hug her little girl again. But she knew she couldn't... not yet. But she was very happy because her husband could do it, after all this time, after so much suffering on both of them.

"I told you so." Sophia told her, causing her to return her look to her. "I told you I would." Snow laughed slightly and took her granddaughter approaching her body and holding her tight.

She never thought she could love someone like she loved David and Emma, but then, Sophia came to her life and changed her completely. She was a light in the darkness, and since then, this little girl had brightened her days. And now she was eternally grateful to her for have returned to her life her own daughter, and her mother.

"I'm very proud of you." She whispered in her ear and then she felt her granddaughter clinging to her body.

Emma closed her eyes, letting out a few tears and hugging her father gently. She had waited for this a long time; to be in her father's arms and to feel safe, and now she was that way, but when she needed him, she couldn't get it, but she couldn't blame him. It wasn't his fault. It was all very unfair and wrong, but everything was done and she couldn't go back.

"Happy Birthday." She heard him whisper in her ear, and she couldn't do more than hold a little more to him and try not to let the tears go.

"Thank you." She whispered slowly moving away from him. Seeing his face, she saw the tears in him and smiled shyly, wiping her own tears.

"We – we need to talk about many things." He said removing the tears from his face. Emma took a breath and shifted her gaze to the floor. "I don't want to pressure you, but you know we should."

Emma didn't raise her eyes, but she could see her father moves away from her and she knew immediately that the gaze of her mother was in her again. Taking courage, Emma lifted her head to find the watery eyes of her mother, who kept hugging Sophia.

"I'm starving... so we can get in here, and eat, and celebrate what's left of your birthday." Sophia said with a smile. Emma didn't know what to say or do; she just looked at her father and then her mother again.

"Yeah, I think we can do that." David spoke to note that Emma couldn't say anything about it. He looked at Snow and gave her a look that she understood significantly faster.

"Alright, let's go." Snow said taking Sophia's hand and turning to start walking towards Granny's.

Emma watched her mother get away with her daughter, and quickly felt a lump in her throat. She sighed knowing that she shouldn't blame her. She deserved her mother acted like that way, she deserved it... but that didn't lessen how painful it was. She had told her only happy birthday, and she knew that she was happy to see her again, her eyes always said everything but... she could see in her eyes the incredible pain she had, too. And Emma couldn't feel more miserable about it.

"Emma?" She blinked, realizing that her father was still at her side. She looked up and opened her mouth to say something, but he quickly added. "Just give her time. She loves you so much."

"I know..." She said not believing that she was finally able to say something. And by the look on her father, she assumed he thought the same. "But..." She sighed. "I think we should talk about that the three alone. I don't want to Sophia hear something."

"Yeah, I know, it will be so... but now let's us spend this birthday with you. Please?"

Emma nodded slightly and began walking towards the restaurant, feeling in her neck still her father's look. She opened the door and walked slowly, watching the people who were inside. They seemed to be watching her mother and Sophia, but once she came in; all fixed their gaze on her as if she were the rarest thing in the world. Emma furrowed her brow confused.

"I'm going to explain about this now, too." Her father told her, watching each person as she did. "C'mon." He walked to the last table where her mother and Sophia were.

Emma walked slowly to the table to take a seat next to her father. She clasped her hands in her lap and started playing with them nervously, watching her mother, who now, for some reason, was ignoring her. She looked at her hands that were on the table, and as always when she was nervous, she started playing with her ring.

"I ordered four cups of hot chocolate." Snow said out of her trance of thoughts. But Emma sighed lightly noting that her mother's gaze was fixed on her father; she was not willing to look at her.

"So... I'm in trouble?" Sophia asked with a half smile, looking at both of her parents. They looked at each other – just the way they did before, when she asked the same question – and it was her mother who looked at Sophia.

"Kind of. I'm going to talk to you about that later." She said firmly, yet gently. Sophia nodded slightly as a girl approached to their table with a tray in her hands.

"Here you have." The brunette said, placing a cup in front of each. Once she finished, she seemed to have no intention of leaving.

Emma looked somewhat uncomfortable to the woman and shifted her gaze to her parents, wanting to see if she was the only one so this seemed strange. But they seemed to be gone in their eyes. They were looking at each other, and her mother returned to have accumulated tears in her eyes. So, noting that no one seemed to notice the presence of women, she lifted her gaze to her.

"So... can we help you?" She blinked and walked quickly to her feet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry if I bother you. It's just... we never had strangers here." She said normally. "And now suddenly there are four, and... this is why people look at you like that way. Well, just as I was doing." She said with a giggle. "My name's Ruby."

"Emma." She smiled slightly to the woman, and to see that she was still there and now had her eyes on her parents, she had to add. "And they're Mary Margaret and David."

"Oh, and I'm Sophia!" Sophia added quickly after drinking a good sip of her chocolate. Ruby smiled brightly.

"Well, nice to meet you... all of you." Emma smiled again and Ruby turned away from them, heading to another table.

"She is who I think she is?" Sophia said looking at Snow and David, repeatedly. Emma saw her father looking down nervously and took a sip from her glass. Her mother, however, removed the tears were in her eyes and looked at Sophia with a small smile. "She's Little Red Riding Hood?"

"Well, she's not little, but yes... she's Red, my – my best friend." Snow said, taking a sip of her chocolate.

"What?" Emma couldn't help saying, trying to process her mother's words. That woman was Little Red Riding Hood? Or Red? The woman who was to be her godmother, if she remembered wrong.

"Yeah." Her father said, taking her attention. "Two days ago we received a postcard from Storybrooke, and decided it would be nice if we came to see what it was." Emma furrowed her brow and tried to say something about it, but decided to let her father pursue. "We arrived this afternoon, but we didn't have time to meet anyone because some person decided to run away." He shifted his gaze to his granddaughter, who smiled tenderly. "We went through the entire town, even the forest, looking for her. We didn't have time to meet anyone but... before both of you came, we came here."

"And here were Red, the dwarves... all of them." Her mother began to speak, but Emma noticed she was still not meeting her eyes. She kept her eyes on her hands. "All our friends are here, but... nobody remembers who they are."

Emma processed every word of her parents, understanding all. They were there, in the town where all the fairy tale characters were. And the four of them came to this town, today, on her birthday. This was the day that was supposed that she would begin to fight the final battle, because she was the savior. And she would have to break the curse.

"No..." She whispered without thinking, looking up at her mother. Surely, her mother heard her whisper, and for the first time, raised her eyes to meet her gaze. "I – I need a minute."

She got up and before anyone could speak, she began to walk quickly out. All this was too much. No doubt, she needed air.

* * *

_Emma grabbed her blanket, but nothing happened. The fear didn't move away from her like the images of her nightmare. But she couldn't do anything because she already had ten years to go running to her parents' room in the middle of the night. But her fear wasn't gone, and her breathing became faster and her crying kept air from her lungs easily. She was not feeling well at all._

_Emma sat on her bed and when her feet touched the floor, the door opened, startling her completely. She turned her eyes to see the figure of her mother at the door._

_"Mama?" She said running to the door and hugging her mother tightly. Snow held her tightly and lifted her of the ground, feeling her head on her shoulder and could clearly hear her crying._

_"Honey, what's wrong?" She started walking towards the bed to get to it and sit on it, putting Emma in her lap. Although they were in darkness, Snow pulled the hair from her face to see well. Her little girl had her face filled with tears and her eyes were full of fear. "Emma, what happened?"_

_"I – I had a nightmare. I tried to be brave, but I couldn't." Emma tried to explain between sobs constant. Snow shook her head and took her face in her hands._

_"It's okay sweetie. I'm here now, and I will not let anyone hurt you." Emma grabbed her again, resting her head on her chest and closing her eyes, reliving her nightmare._

_"Not even the Evil Queen?" She whispered totally scared. Snow furrowed her brow at the mention and took Emma from her body._

_"Emma what did you dream?" Emma bit her lip but she managed to calm her breathing again._

_"I was in a forest, and there was the Evil Queen. And I tried to be brave, I wanted to break the curse... but she didn't let me. She was trying to hurt me and both of you." Emma closed her eyes and let her cry seizes her again. "I – I do not want that, Mama!"_

_"That will not happen my love, don't worry." She took her daughter to her body and clung to her again. "I will not let anyone hurt you, much less her."_

_"I don't want to be the savior if she's going to hurt us."_

_Snow sighed gently stroking her hair, resting her chin on her head. She quickly accumulated tears in her eyes, feeling completely wrong that this whole thing has caused so much anguish in her daughter. For this reason she didn't want Emma found out she was the savior. She was going to be so scared._

_"You know what?" Snow regained the sound of her voice. "You are the savior, but you're my little girl, and no one witch is going to hurt my baby."_

_Snow looked down as she felt Emma's head move. She had raised her head to look at her. "But I'm not going to be a little girl when I'm twenty-eight."_

_Snow smiled crookedly and took her face in her hands, stroking gently her cheeks. "Oh, no. You'll always be my little girl, my baby. No matter how old you are." Emma smiled hugely and returned to her mother's arms, clinging to her tightly. "When you're scared, I'll be there, no matter what."_

_None of them said anything more. Snow was devoted to stroke her hair, and when she felt Emma's breathing become more quiet, she knew her daughter was asleep. But she didn't want Emma awoke from another nightmare and was alone in the room again, so she placed her daughter on the bed and lay down beside her, covering both of them for the sheets._

_Snow remained watching her daughter's peaceful face until her eyes didn't hold more and finally closed._

Emma rested her hands on the roof of her car, breathing heavily. Everything was happening it was so much. Her daughter, whom she had left ten years ago, had found her. She had taken her to her parents. And now all of them were in the town where all the fairy tale characters were. Where were all the people she would be saved because they were all cursed and she was the only one who could save them? And surely here was the Evil Queen, Regina... and she couldn't face her.

Emma walked across the street and entered in her car, turn the key to start the engine, but she couldn't help but look to the restaurant. She couldn't leave them here. She couldn't leave Sophia here with that crazy witch around. Emma sighed and took the key, opened the door of her car. Once outside, she closed the door and turned around, startled to find her mother in front of her, with her arms crossed and her reproachful look which she knew well.

"You were going to run away." Emma placed her hands in the pockets of her pants and looked down trying not to acknowledge the criticism and pain in her mother's voice. "Again." She finally said.

"I don't want to stay here." Emma said quickly, raising her head and finding her mother's eyes. "I –"

"I'm not going to let you go, not again!" She almost screamed causing Emma opened her eyes in surprise, not for what she said, but her tone. She had not heard that tone for ten years. And that tone was the last she heard from her.

"We can't stay here. Everyone's here, and that means that she's here. I'm not going to deal with her, I'm not going to break the curse. I'm not going to be the savior, why can't you understand?" Emma raised her voice completely outraged that her mother was still too stubborn to understand. Or, she was too stubborn to understand her.

"I found my friends, and I will not leave them. I'm not going to go from here." Snow said firmly, without crossing her arms and trying to not invade her emotions completely and could break there.

Emma sighed trying to think of a better solution, but she knew her mother wouldn't change her mind. She was going to stay here, as her father, and so Sophia. But she couldn't leave her daughter here. She had left them for her to have her best chance, because she knew they were going to be able to raise her well, but she couldn't leave her here with them not reasoned that here was a witch who had tried repeatedly to kill them and who created a curse all just to destroy her happiness. No, she couldn't see all that. But she did.

"So I'm leaving, and Sophia's coming with me." Emma said although her soul ache of having to leave her parents again, she left her no choice. She was _not_ leaving her daughter in a dangerous place although that means takes her away from them, and taking herself away from them again.

"No you're not. You're not going to go, let alone you will carry Sophia with you. I'm not going to let that happen."

And Emma suddenly felt totally confused. How she might be telling that to her? She was Sophia's mother, and she was her grandmother. She had every right to take her daughter, and even more so if she was in dangerous place like that damn town.

"Excuse me? I _am_ her mother." Emma said firmly some anger that her mother still had the nerve to have said that.

"Yeah, you're her mother, but I raised her, and I'm not going to let you take her from me."

"I have every right to do so!" She screamed unable to believe she had this argument with her mother.

"And why didn't you use that right ten years ago?!" Her mother suddenly shouted at her, leaving her completely surprised at her words. "You left her! You ran away Emma; you're gone and you never came back! How dare you want to come back out of nowhere and take her with you? You can't do that!"

Snow felt her heart contract to see her daughter's face filled with surprise and pain. She had been so hard, but she needed to hear that. She couldn't leave, let alone take her granddaughter with her. She was her mother, but she couldn't take her away from her.

Emma quickly felt tears in her eyes. She was right. She was gone, and she never came back. They probably waited for her, but she didn't return. But all she wanted was her daughter safe, and that's why she left her with them, but it was too late to take her rights. Her mother was right. She was so scared before, and she was so scared now.

"Why can't you see? All I want is the best for her, because of that I left her!" She screamed letting the tears escape from her eyes, and quickly she saw the tears on her mother's cheeks, too. "And you know that! And she's here. Regina's here, she can hurt her. She can hurt all of us! And I can't let that happen!"

And Snow couldn't take it more. She went to her daughter and wrapped her in her arms, clinging to her body. Emma quickly wrapped her arms around her mother and let her head rest on her shoulder, leaving her crying out. She shook her head countless times as Snow gently stroked her back.

"You remember the first nightmare about this?" Snow whispered and at felt Emma cling to her, took it as a yes. "And you remember what I told you?" Emma slowly moved away from her and Snow once again felt her heart break to see the face of his little girl full of tears and pain. She cupped her face with both hands as many times she did and stroked her soft skin. "You will always be my little girl, and I will _not_ let a witch hurt you. Neither you nor anyone in our family."

Emma couldn't help leave out another sob and rush into her arms again. Snow swallowed, trying not to break at that time, because her daughter needed her strong, and at that point it didn't matter all that had passed between them. Her little girl was so scared, and she would be there. She wasn't there for ten years, but now she had her again, and she wouldn't let her go. Not again, not ever.

A few laughs were heard approaching, and they slowly walked away. Snow turned to see her husband with Sophia in his arms, both with smiles on their faces. But Sophia's smile quickly disappeared as she posed her gaze on her mother.

"Are you living?" She asked quickly, letting her grandfather left her on the floor. She ran toward them, standing next to her grandmother and taking her hand tightly without looking away from her mother. "You can't leave."

Emma looked deeply into her daughter's eyes, noting the desperation and fear in them. But secretly she lowered her gaze to the clasped hands of her mother and daughter, and then she could see their connection. Of course her mother was not going to admit, but she was Sophia's mother, too.

She had given birth to her, she had left her to her to give her her best shot, and that made her her mother already. She didn't want to do that, but it was best for everyone. But, Snow had raised Sophia. Her daughter was what she was thanks to her mother, and she couldn't take that.

Emma could see the admiration or love that Sophia had in her eyes every time she looked at her. No doubt, she had been waiting for her. But Snow and Sophia had a special connection, and she couldn't break that. She couldn't make her daughter to choose between going with her, or stay with her grandparents. That would be too cruel, and she didn't want to cause such confusion in the girl.

"Please? Just stay... for a week. Just a week." Sophia said quickly and enthusiastically. Emma sighed, shifting her gaze to her car.

"Stay a week and see that if there's no danger here, you can go." Emma quickly fixed her gaze on her mother, incredulous to hear those words from her. "Or, you will see that there's no danger here, and stay."

Or there's dangers and have to stay there, because the hell she wouldn't let anyone touch her family. So, Emma raised her eyebrows slyly observing her mother. She knew that she wouldn't leave; there was no way for her to say those words in otherwise. The blonde woman let out another sigh and looked up at her father.

His blue eyes sparkled, and she couldn't believe she was the cause. He didn't seem angry, he probably was hurt, but he didn't show it at all as her mother did. He just wanted her to stay and nothing else.

Sophia's eyes were still waiting for a response encouraging. Emma swallowed hard, realizing that this baby she held in her arms one day became this beautiful girl. That girl who had crossed a city alone to find her and bring her to her family. And she knew her parents wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, but she didn't let that happen either. She wouldn't leave until she knew that this place was safe for her.

And then, Emma looked up at her mother and met for first time after so long, her sweet look. She was still angry, and hurt, and she had every right to be, but she still was her mother. And she was still her daughter. Snow knew when she put aside her anger and be there for her. She would always be there for her when she needed her.

"Well, yeah. A week. Just a week."

And Emma could see a smile appear on the face of each of her family. She tried not to smile, but even so, her lips twitched into a small smile.

"Your hot chocolates are still waiting for the two of you in there." Sophia said trying to lighten the atmosphere. Snow laughed and stroked her head slightly before releasing her hand and start walking with her husband to the restaurant.

"You knew." Emma said, noting that finally had a moment alone with her daughter to answer her questions. But, Sophia seemed to not understand what she was saying. "You knew it was my birthday, and that in my twenty-eighth birthday I was supposed to break the curse."

"You still didn't break any curse, didn't you?" She asked slyly, making Emma squint.

"You planned it all." Emma said finally, capturing the sparkle in the girl's eyes. Sophia shrugged and put her hands in the pockets of her white jacket.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, good game." Emma said with a small smile before turning around and walking towards the restaurant.

Sophia smiled watching her mother and turned to face the large tower that was in the center of town. She had seen when she was in the car with her mother, and that clock was clearly cursed, too, it marked a quarter past eight in the evening, and certainly it wasn't that time. Of course, all the people and even her grandparents were frozen in time, so... that clock would not move until something changed. The little girl shrugged and started walking towards the restaurant, but when she touched the doorknob to enter, she felt the need to turn around and go back to look at the clock.

So she did. The clock was the same, but before she could turn around again, she saw a needle drop. And Sophia smiled immensely, knowing that everything had begun.

"Hey kid," Sophia turned quickly to listen to Emma after her. The blonde was on the inside of the restaurant, with the door open. "It will be better come in."

Sophia nodded slightly and turned her gaze to the clock before entering and walking behind her mother to the table where her grandparents were. Yeah, just a week, she thought. And in a week a lot can happen.

* * *

**I'm glad to read your reviews and see that you found it interesting, I wanted it to be so. :) To clarify doubts, I still didn't write because The Charmings and Emma were separated, and I have the idea, but not definite yet, but I have the idea although not yet written.**

**Although this chapter you can see that Emma has no intention of being the savior, and to save anyone. The last thing she wants is to be the savior, but she believes all that, no doubt.**

**Well, thank you very much for your reviews and I can't wait to see what you all think about this chapter, too. It would make me very happy see your opinions. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Sophia entered enthusiastically in what would be her new home. Behind her, her grandparents came carrying their suitcases, and behind them, Emma.

She had tried to convince them that she had to return to Boston to pick up her stuff, but her parents insisted it was too late and it would be better for her to go in the morning.

"It's a little smaller than our previous home, isn't it?" Sophia asked running from the kitchen into what appeared to be a room. There was a double bed but there was no door, only a curtain.

"It was the only thing we could find before coming here..." Snow said leaving the suitcases on the floor and heading toward the kitchen, inspecting everything.

"It's beautiful." Sophia said, turning to the living room, when suddenly, she looked up to find the stairs. "Oh my god, there's a second floor! I want that room Mom!" She said in a shout to Snow and speed up the stairs and then enters the room.

Snow looked at Emma for any signs of discomfort from Sophia calling her mom. But there was nothing; Emma was very concentrated seeing every part of the house. And when she realized that her daughter turned, Snow turned her gaze toward the kitchen objects.

"Well, I think I'll take the couch..." David said getting closer to the couch and leaning on it. "Uh-uh, seems to be comfortable."

"Are you crazy? You're not sleeping in the couch Charming." Snow said getting closer to her husband. He sat in the couch and glared at her.

"I do not think we three get in a bed." Emma quickly returned from her world of thoughts and stared at her father.

"Three?" David looked at Snow a second before looking at his daughter.

"Yeah, well... your mother, Sophia and me. The upstairs room is yours. You know, so you have your own space." He said gently, trying not to say anything that might upset his daughter.

"Oh no, you shouldn't be separated. You two are married." Emma said, shaking her head quickly. "I can sleep with Sophia, I think..."

"Are you sure?" Snow asked quickly causing Emma afterthought in her proposal.

Everything was going very fast. It was true that she was not sure about sharing the room with her daughter, but the greater irony was that Sophia was _her_ daughter and that she shouldn't bother to share something with her, but it was still that.

But she couldn't let her parents sleep apart when it shouldn't be so.

"Yeah," Emma said, trying not to make importance. "And you listened the girl, she wants that room."

Emma saw her mother a little surprised; she probably would have thought she had not heard the details of "Mom." But how could she be upset, or claim something? Snow had won that right, she had raised Sophia. She was the only one who was there when Sophia began to recognize people, and she actually recognized her as her mother. And nobody could blame her.

"So, we're both going to sleep together?" Sophia asked curiously, standing on the top step of the ladder. Her grandparents and Emma looked at her, and Snow to see discomfort in her daughter, decided to approach her granddaughter.

"If that's okay with you." Sophia looked down for a moment and then raised her eyes to see Emma. The little brunette smiled slightly and turned her gaze to her grandmother, nodding. "Okay, the upstairs room is yours, then."

"Thank you!" Sophia thanked and quickly turned to go back up the stairs, but her grandmother took her arm gently.

"It's time for you to go to sleep, young lady." Sophia let out a little snort and lowered her head. "Your toothbrush and your toothpaste is in your backpack, go get them and then to bed."

"Yes, Mom." Sophia said softly down the stairs. She went to her backpack taking what she needed from there, and then headed towards the new bathroom.

"When she's up, we can talk." David said quietly towards Emma. Emma nodded and Snow could see the desire that her daughter had to speak; nothing. But the blonde slowly approached the table and sat down in a chair, folding her hands on the table.

The three remained silent. David remained sitting on the sofa, while Snow went from the kitchen to one of the boxes. Emma saw her mother open a box and carefully pull a few clothes from there. But it certainly was not for her. The clothing was somewhat small, and certainly was for Sophia. Her pajamas.

"Ready!" Sophia ran to the living room with a smile. Snow stood up and reached her, her clothes. "Really? I have to go to bed now?"

"Yes, and tomorrow we will talk about run away." Sophia took her clothes quickly, fearing that such talk will have to take to now. But she glanced at Emma in the table, and her grandfather had risen to the couch to approach them. She didn't take long to realize things.

"Uhm, yeah. You three have to talk, huh?" Snow just kept her gaze on her and Sophia nodded slightly. "I get it. So, good night."

"Good night, sweetheart." David said moving closer to her and kissed her head.

"Good night." Snow said before kissing her forehead. "And do not take too long to fall asleep."

"I won't." Sophia said quickly and turning slightly to look at an uncomfortable Emma. "Good night, Emma."

"Good night, kid." Emma said forming a small smile. Sophia smiled back and turned to run upstairs.

Emma saw Sophia out of sight, and was at that time when her muscles tightened completely. She knew that this would happen; when the girl left, she should talk to her parents. She wasn't ready, but her parents certainly were. She looked at both of them take a seat in front of her, and Emma couldn't do nothing but look at her hands.

She had just turned twenty-eight, and everything had changed. Now she had her daughter back, and she had her parents who were the same age as her. And she was going to live for a week – at least – in a town full of fairy tale characters, and the Evil Queen, who hated her mother with all her heart.

While this conversation had nothing to do with that topic, she would never be ready to have that conversation with them. She could never face them.

"Why did you leave?" Emma forced herself to look up at her mother's broken voice. She swallowed and let her eyes connect with her mother's.

She was so hurt. And angry. And Emma couldn't say anything to that. She had every right to feel so. She couldn't wait for her mother wait her with open arms, because it would be unfair. She deserved this behavior on her part. But that didn't take away the fact that it hurt too much.

"Why did you leave and never come back?"

Emma couldn't bear more her mother's look, looking down toward her hands again. She took a deep breath thinking of the words she would have to tell them if she ever see them again. As painful as it was, she never expected to see them again.

"I didn't want that. I don't want that." Emma found her voice something broken. She tried to keep her voice remained intact, but that was clearly impossible.

"It's your destiny, Emma."

Emma raised her eyes feeling the anger fill her. She admitted that she made a very big mistake to run away. She never had to be gone, that way none of what happened would have happened, but she couldn't go back, and she accepted her mistake... but her mother didn't. She still couldn't see her own mistake.

"Yeah, of course." Emma began feeling tears grouped in her eyes, but hell she wouldn't drop even one. "It's my destiny, is what I should do, but to hell with what I want, right?"

She shifted her gaze from her mother to her father, finding in his blue eyes pain. He was not angry, but the pain was still there. But they must understand her. She understood them, why they couldn't understand her?

"Emma..." David tried to say, extending one of his hands to her hands, but Emma quickly took them out of the table.

"No, I can't believe we're having this discussion again!" She raised her voice, feeling that she was seventeen again. But now she was an adult. They couldn't decide for her anymore. "I'm not going to save anyone!" Snow opened her mouth but Emma rose abruptly from her chair. "No, I'm twenty-eight, not seventeen. Can you understand that?" She stared at her mother's eyes. Her eyes were hard, but her green eyes were filled with tears. "I'm not your puppet... not anymore."

And this time, it was the turn of Snow to speak. She got up from the chair, pulling it back, and by sheer luck that didn't fall. Emma jumped a little, but she maintained that position without taking her eyes off her. "You were never my puppet! You were my daughter and I wanted the best for you!"

"No! You wanted the best for you and your whole damn kingdom! Why you never could hear me? I didn't want that, I didn't ask for that!"

David got up quickly. They had begun to scream, and Sophia was trying to sleep upstairs. The last thing he wanted was that the girl had to hear all that. He was to take charge of the situation and not let things get out of control. He couldn't let that happen again... the last time it cost him so much.

"We don't have to talk about this now." He said shifting his gaze from his wife to his daughter again and again. But he didn't get a look of any of them. Their eyes penetrated into the eyes of the other with anger. "You two need to calm down, there are other things we need to talk. This can wait."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked, never taking her eyes off Snow's green eyes. David sighed and looked at his wife, taking her hand gently.

"Mary Margaret, please." He whispered hoping his wife calm down. They still had a lot to talk to their daughter. They had been waiting a long time for this, and he didn't want this to end in a big fight that everyone could repent too late then.

Snow felt his hand be tightened slightly, and then she turned her gaze to her husband. His eyes were pleading... he really wanted to talk about other things with Emma. He wouldn't want that they discuss for that… that could wait, that's right. But this issue had been using her from the time her daughter disappeared from her sight and never saw her again. But she had to think of him and Sophia.

Her anger and blame should wait.

"Alright," Snow said getting rid of his hand to take her chair and sit on it again. David sat next to her, and she tried to join hands across the table and look back to Emma.

Emma shifted her gaze from her mother to her father again. Both of them were sitting in front of her, waiting for her to sit and talk with them. Emma quickly found in her mother's eyes nothing but wait. Anger was not there anymore. How could she do that? She could never know.

But she preferred to talk about anything other than that subject. So, she sat back in her place and sighed deeply.

After all, they probably waited too long to get back to talk to her, and they deserved that she gives them that pleasure.

Emma sighed again and could speak again, with a voice much lower. "What do you want to know?"

"I think this is something we deserve to know, and I expect you to tell us the truth." Her mother spoke to a more reassuring tone. She frowned thinking of what she might be talking. "Sophia's father."

Snow saw Emma's face changed completely. She knew that she tried not to show any emotion, but Snow knew her better than anyone, and she could see everything. Sophia's father couldn't have been someone good; her daughter's eyes filled with pain and disappointment said that without words.

And all anger Snow could feel seconds ago vanished in those seconds of watching her little girl's eyes. She at least had wanted to imagine her – teenager – daughter pregnant but with someone at her side, but actually, this man wasn't at her side. That damn guy sure had left her when he found out the pregnancy. And her daughter had to spend all this alone?

"He left you?" Snow quickly asked not measure her words and the impact it could have on her daughter. Emma blinked at those words. She never wanted to believe it that way even if that had been the cruel reality.

"Yes... but before I could find out about my pregnancy." Emma said quickly, furrowing her brow to the tears pooled in her eyes. "He never found out about it."

"He doesn't even know about her?" David asked completely shocked and stunned. Emma just shook her head in response.

Now Snow couldn't blame the man. He didn't even know he was going to have a child. But he had left her daughter. He left her alone, and with a child. And if she didn't remember wrong, and the numbers she was made was well, Snow could only think of one person.

"Sophia's father is Ethan?" And she was able to see that pain in Emma's eyes that made that nothing had to be spoken. Her daughter nodded slightly and looked down, lost in her thought.

Snow looked down at her hands and furrowed her brow, remembering the boy. And her daughter. She was in love with him... she would have been devastated when he left her alone. She ran away with him. She would have thought that they would always be together... and he left her alone, and with a child. Maybe he would not have left if he had known about Sophia?

Her poor baby. Surely she had needed them a lot. And they weren't there.

"Why don't you come back, Emma?" Snow asked, her voice breaking at the thought of her daughter having to give birth alone in who knows where. She was so young and she had to go through it alone.

But Emma lifted her gaze to meet her eyes again. She looked around her face, looking for any sign of anger, but there was nothing. She was hurt because she had to go through that, and because she had not returned so that everything didn't have to be that way.

But she couldn't come back.

"I couldn't do it." Emma whispered furrowing her brow and lowering her gaze once more to not have to find her parent's face. "I ran away with him because I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me... what I could say if I came back? I was so embarrassed… and he left me, and I was pregnant. And I was eighteen. That shouldn't have to happen and – and I couldn't do it."

"Emma." David spoke trying to his voice be as strong as possible. "We don't have minded. You were our daughter... we never would have left you alone."

Emma pressed her lips trying to get the tears in her eyes. She couldn't bear to hear that. She knew it was true. She could have come back and she shouldn't have gone through all that alone. She could have raised Sophia with them, they could all have been happy. But nothing happened so, and she wanted more than anything they could understand her, but she couldn't ask for that.

She had to keep quiet, she couldn't say anything.

"I know... just – please, can we end this? I don't want to think about what could have been because..." The blonde sighed trying to hold back the tears that threatened to escape.

"Just one more question." Snow said quickly, understanding the pain of her daughter. But she had to know why she had done something. Probably the hardest thing she had to do in her life. "Why did you leave Sophia with us? Why you had the courage to leave her with us but not to come back?"

Emma knew that her mother would ask this question. And she didn't know what to say to that. She certainly was not prepared to answer all those questions they had. That's why she didn't want to face them. She should admit her mistakes and she would have to see the impact of these errors on her parent's face.

"I was a coward." She took a breath of air before continuing. "I was a big coward... I was very proud but also very coward. I didn't – I didn't want to live with you because I didn't want to return to that life that I had to save everyone. I wanted to be normal. But I couldn't let my daughter suffer for that decision I was taking... I knew that I was not her best chance." Emma swallowed hard despite the lump was in her throat, and she could only lift her gaze into her mother's eyes. "You were her best chance. I knew you were going to raise her well..." She shifted her gaze to her father. "Both of you. I knew you two were going to love her and raise her as she deserved. I wasn't going to can do that. I was a coward, proud and selfish... but I couldn't be selfish with her."

And Emma felt a tear down her cheek. She quickly wiped it as she got up from the chair, looking at both of her parents. He had tears in his eyes, and she had tears on her cheeks. This was going to be painful, but Emma never thought that it was going to be so much. Remove her past was very painful for her, and always would be.

"Sorry..." Emma whispered diverting her gaze away. "I – I need to go to sleep." She swallowed placing her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Good night."

And without saying anything more, Emma started walking up the stairs, wanting to disappear from their sight as quickly as possible. And Snow and David remained sitting there, deep in their thoughts.

All Snow could think about was her teenager pregnant daughter alone. And having to give away her child because she believed she was not her best chance. And she couldn't feel worse thinking that her daughter believed she was not enough for them, that she could have her disappointed them.

That could never have happened. She would have been angry at first, but that wouldn't have lasted anything. She would have been there for her little girl, at every step of her pregnancy. She would have been there with her in the childbirth, and she would have told her how proud she was of her. And they could have been together in every Sophia's birthdays, in every day of her life.

But Emma was right. She must not think of what could have been because it was so painful... that could consume her in sadness.

* * *

Emma closed the door behind her, slowly. Her eyes quickly found Sophia sleeping on one side of the bed, curled. Emma let her tears out of her eyes freely as she walked toward the bed.

She sat quietly on the bed and took off her boots, without even miss some noise of her crying. Once her feet were free, she slowly leaned next to her daughter.

Sophia was in the other corner of the bed, but still, she had her little girl at her side. Something she never thought she could do.

_Emma looked down at the little bundle she carried awkwardly in her arms. Carefully and clumsiness, she managed to cover more carefully her baby's little body. But at the cold touch of her hands, the baby began to mourn as to minutes ago._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Emma whispered, feeling tears in her eyes again._

_She had left half an hour the hospital, and in that half hour she couldn't do anything but cry because her baby was crying and she didn't know what to do to stop her. Her baby girl had stopped to mourn minutes, but now she had screwed up. And she had begun to mourn again._

_"Sorry, sorry." Emma muttered again, covering the little baby's head by the blanket._

_The girl of eighteen looked around, feeling her breath stirring. She began to panic. Around half an hour she had left the hospital with nothing but her baby, both of them with only the clothing on their backs. And her yellow car. And she didn't know what to do to calm her baby. She couldn't do this._

_She had only one car and no house, she had no food, no money. She even hadn't held a change of clothes for her little baby. This was not fair to her daughter. She deserved more._

_"You'll have everything you need." Emma told her baby, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead wrinkled because of her endless tears._

_The blonde gently placed the baby in one arm and with her hand available, began looking in the floor to find what she was looking for. Careful to not hurt her baby, Emma placed the paper on the wheel and quickly began writing as clear as possible._

_Once she finished writing, she threw the pen on either side and carefully placed the baby in her other arm to turn the key and start the engine of her car to start driving with one hand and a baby in her other arm and her eyes alert to all._

_She really thought she could do this. But she wasn't prepared. She had ran way to a year of home. She thought she was going to be happy... and everything went to hell. _

_Everything._

_But she believed that this would be a good start again; just her and her daughter. She loved her from the moment she learned of her existence, love would never break her baby but she never thought that she might miss everything else. Certainly, her baby wouldn't survive by her love. And God knew she loved her daughter more than anything in the world, and that's why she decided not to give her up for adoption when everyone told her she should do that because it was the best... but she couldn't imagine her daughter growing up without her, without her knowing that she loved her more than life._

_But now she understood. Her baby would need more clothes, food, she shouldn't be cold, she would need diapers... and Emma couldn't give her anything of that._

_Emma stopped her car in front of her home. She felt her eyes filled with tears when she saw lights in the house. They were in there. Would they miss her? That was for sure. But she couldn't return. She had to keep her own life and let them have their life... that way no one would get hurt. But she never thought she would have to think of a person, or take over someone else. The most important person in her life._

_The girl lowered her gaze to her baby. She had stopped to mourn, and now she only stared at her with her dark eyes. She certainly had been the most precious thing she had ever seen. Emma pressed her lips feeling tears down her cheeks with speed._

_This shouldn't be so, but this was what she should do. This is the only thing that she should do and would do. Emma took a break before she lose her car and start walking towards her home._

_Once outside the door, she lowered her gaze to the baby. Slowly and without removing her eyes from her, Emma knelt on the driveway. Slowly and gently, she leaned the baby on the floor wrapping her by the blanket as much as possible because the cold was in the air. Only her angelic face was outdoors._

_Emma closed her eyes and pressed her lips hard not to let out a piercing scream. But she opened them again, knowing that she shouldn't leave her daughter there long due to the cold. She swallowed and carefully placed the paper she had written between her tiny body and the blanket._

_"I love you." Emma whispered staring into her baby's eyes. Her vision was somewhat blurred because of the tears, but she should look into her child's eyes for the last time. "Goodbye, Sophia." Emma approached her small head and gently kissed her forehead, letting her tears falls on her tiny head. She moved away and stroked with the tip of her finger her little nose. "I'm sorry." She whispered one last time._

_Emma gathered all her strength and rose from the ground, never taking her eyes off the baby. She brought her finger to ring without even looking at it and squeezed it. She opened her mouth for the last time._

_"I'm sorry." She whispered again, starting to walk backwards. Her mother's voice telling her father that she would go to the door reached her ears, making her understand that it was time._

_The eighteen year old turned and ran to her car, getting into it quickly. She quickly put the key in place and out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone open the front door. _

_Her mother._

_But she had no time to notice if it really was her... she began to run the engine of her car and began driving fast._

_Almost at the corner, she thought she heard her mother's voice calling her name, but she shouldn't stop. She should continue driving to let them go. She knew for some time that she couldn't return to see her parents again, but she thought she would have a new life with her daughter. She dreamed that. But her dream couldn't be performed, and would never be able to._

_Emma let the tears fall down her face as she stared straight ahead and didn't remove her hands from the wheel.. She was clinging to her car and get away from everything. She had to let everything she had go. For a moment, she had hopes that she would be able to have someone she loved her, but her hopes were just that... hopes._

_Hopes that became in a dream and the dream had just become ashes. She had nothing._

_She couldn't come back to her parents. And she had to leave her daughter with them because they were her best chance. But now her daughter had become someone she may never see again, because if she would see her, she would have to see them, too. And that's not going to happen._

_A new beginning with her baby was what she wanted, but now she will not be able to have that, but she will have a new beginning._

_Emma Swan was going to have a new beginning. She had no parents, and she had not a daughter. She had no family._

Emma watched every detail of Sophia's face. And she smiled broadly despite her tears. Everything was going to be difficult, but now she had what she always wanted in a while. She had her daughter at her side. No matter if she would have to leave again, at that time, Emma only cared that she had the opportunity to have her daughter in front of her again.

She never thought that could happen. But this little girl had found her, and brought her to her parents. But Sophia loved her, she knew it. And that's just more painful to all.

Emma knew she was not going to stay. She couldn't save anyone... she couldn't be the savior, and the only way to escape from it, was moving away from everything.

But how many times have Sophia cried for her? How many times she would have thought that her real mother didn't want her and that's why she left her until she learned that she had done to give her her best shot? She couldn't imagine her daughter crying for her. She doesn't even deserve Sophia's tears.

"I'm sorry." Emma whispered without taking her eyes off her.

But Emma didn't know why she was apologizing. For having caused that damage, or maybe because she was going to cause such harm to run away again. But that was best for her and for her parents. She had to do that for her family.

* * *

**Hey, y'all! Thank you very much for the reviews, I just finished writing this chapter and I just wanted to upload it. I think in the next Regina appear... someone who is important in this game. ;) **

**What I can say the last episode? I can't with my feels of Snow and Regina, this serie is killing me. I can't wait to make it Sunday! Well, thank you very much for reading, and I would be very happy to see your reviews, really!**

**I am sorry for the spelling errors, if anyone knows of any Beta, just let me know! :)**

**Oh, and Ginny tweeted me and I am the happiest girl in the world, she's so sweet and funny. I love her ^. ^. Nothing more, thank you all!**


	4. Chapter 4

Sophia stretched her little arms and legs and let out a big yawn. The little girl took her hands to her eyes and rubbed them, starting to sit up in bed. Once she was upright, she opened her brown eyes for the first time and looked at her side, where Emma was supposed to be, but no one was there. Perhaps Emma was having breakfast.

In another yawn, Sophia got out of bed, finally starting to have enough energy to begin walking quickly toward the door of the room. The little brunette closed the door behind her and started down the stairs, hearing the voices of her grandparents.

She stood on the top step, looking in all directions. Her grandparents were sitting at the table having breakfast, but Emma was nowhere to be found.

"Good morning, Sweetheart." Her grandma's voice grabbed her attention. She took a few steps forward with a frown.

"Um…where's Emma?"

Snow smiled slightly and extended her hand to her granddaughter. Sophia looked confused at first, but then her face showed realization of what could possibly happen. "Hey, come here." She sighed and took her grandmother's hand, whom of which then brought her closer and set her on her lap. "Emma went back to Boston to pick up her things."

"Is she coming back?" Sophia quickly asked with great concern in her eyes. David smiled slightly and reached out to take her little hand in his.

"Yes, don't worry."

"How do you know?" Sophia asked as her eyes filled with tears. They wouldn't have let her go if they didn't think she'd come back. Not alone. "She left before, she can leave again!" She practically jumped off Snow's lap, startled by the realization.

"Sophia, it's okay," Snow tried to keep her voice calm, "she left her phone number. If you want, you can call and talk to her." Sophia quickly shifted her eyes to her, and Snow didn't hesitate to look at her husband. David nodded slightly and got up to find his cell phone. "It's alright, Sweetie. She's coming back."

Sophia sighed, somewhat relieved; if Emma had left her cell phone number, that's a clue that surely, she would come back. She still didn't trust her, though. At least not on the subject of going somewhere alone. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling that Emma wanted to get away when she got the chance.

"Here. It's ringing." David handed her the phone, which Sophia quickly grabbed and placed on her ear.

She began to hear the sounds of the ringing and her nerves began to increase. There was no answer. Her concerned brown eyes looked up at her grandmother, and although she pretended not to look nervous, Sophia knew she was.

"She... she doesn't..." Sophia had begun to say as she removed the cell phone from her ear.

"Yeah?" Emma's voice reached her ear, and she quickly returned the phone to it's previous spot.

"Emma, where are you?" Sophia asked quickly and unconsciously formed a smile at the sound of her mother's voice.

"I'm going to Boston to get my things." Sophia looked at her grandparents. "Mary Margaret didn't tell you?"

"Yeah, but..." She tried to think of a good excuse rather than admitting that she was afraid she might run away. Nothing came to mind, so she remained silent. Just as Emma did. "Emma? Are you there?"

"I'm here," she said quickly, "alright, kid? There's no need to frighten your grandparents by running away again, so don't come looking for me. I – I'll be there later."

"Okay, I'll see you later, then." Sophia said resigned and somewhat surprised. Emma probably guessed what she was thinking. She opened her mouth to ask her if she wanted to talk to her grandparents, but the call had ended. Emma had hung up.

"Are you feeling better now?" David asked, taking the phone back. Sophia nodded and smiled crookedly.

"Where are we gonna go today?" Sophia asked with excitement in her eyes. "Can we go through the _entire_ town? Find all your friends?"

"Today we will look for a school for you and jobs for us, I guess." David said scratching his neck and looking for his wife's eyes. She smiled and turned her gaze back to her granddaughter.

"Now, go and brush your teeth, get dressed, and come back down for breakfast." Gently, she took a lock of brown hair off of her little face.

It was the first time in a long time that she saw the gleam back in her beautiful brown eyes. Sophia had always been happy with them, but even so, something was missing. Someone was missing in _all_ of their lives, and now that someone was back. Although her daughter was away at the moment, Snow knew her eyes were as bright as her granddaughter and husband's eyes.

"Um... Mom? May I go to the bathroom now?" Sophia asked cautiously, due to the intense look her grandmother was giving her. Snow quickly blinked and stepped away from her with a small smile.

"Go ahead." Sophia smiled again before running to the bathroom. Once the bathroom door closed, she sighed, turning to look at her husband. "Did you see her eyes? She was so scared that..."

"Emma would run away again." Snow quickly stared into his eyes. "Yeah, you had that look as well when I told you she had gone."

Snow sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. It was true that she had woken up with the startling news that her daughter was gone. She couldn't help feeling completely lost and frightened, even _if _her husband was there to comfort her. He had let her go because he trusted her, or at least trusted that she would come back. Snow trusted _him_, and she really wanted to trust _her_, so she decided to try to calm her nerves, by of course, not showing any concern in front of her granddaughter.

"It's just..." She let out another sigh. "If I were you, I wouldn't have let her go. I'm pretty sure I would have gone with her."

"You?" David raised his eyebrows at hearing those words. They were mother and daughter, they could clearly spend hours together, but after so many years... and the conflicts between the two of them, it was hard to imagine the two of them alone in a car without having a discussion in between. He reacted to the stern gaze that his wife gave him. "I'm sorry, but..."

"I know," she interrupted as she uncrossed her arms, "but I would keep quiet the whole time if that was the cost of me going with her to make sure she would come back."

David furrowed his brow, recognizing the sadness in her voice. She was still afraid that Emma wouldn't come back, but he believed in her. He had _faith_ in their daughter and knew she would return to them. He needed his wife to have that same faith.

"She's coming back, Snow." He took a few steps toward her and tenderly took her hands. "I hesitated to let her go, but she's no longer a teenager… she's an adult. She can make her own decisions and she took one, remember? She said she was going to stay at _least_ a week."

"At least." Snow repeated, turning her gaze to the ground, sadly. David let go of one of her hands and brought his to her chin, slightly lifting her head.

"You really think that after a week of being with us…with her daughter... she will be able to go back?" She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it quickly. He knew at that moment, what she was thinking. Her eyes said it all. Her pain and anger was so great that she was scared, preventing her from trusting their daughter to come back and staying for the week. "You..."

"No." She said moving away, knowing that her husband was easily able to read her feelings. "I'll just continue sorting through our clothes. That will keep me busy." David didn't have time to say anything else because she quickly walked over to their room, leaving him alone in the middle of the living room. Well… not alone.

"Is she okay?" Sophia asked as she stopped a few feet short of him. He didn't hesitate to form a smile on his lips.

"Yeah, hurry up, go get dressed and come down for breakfast."

Sophia nodded and ran upstairs. David sighed watching her go and slumped in his chair, watching his cell. He was eager to talk to Emma, but he knew she needed to be alone; she needed to think about all the things that were happening and think carefully. She had to realize that she shouldn't run anymore. They were her family, and she wouldn't be in a better place than with them.

* * *

_Snow looked around. Black walls surrounded her and there wasn't even a light that could guide her way out. She was trapped in a darker than dark room where she heard laughter. She knew exactly to whom those laughs belonged. It was Regina's laughter... her evil laughter._

_Even more desperate and angry, Snow started feeling everything, trying to find a door or window. She had to get out of there before Regina could arrive. She didn't know how she got there, but she was there, and the laughter of her stepmother didn't stop at the walls resound. Her laughter could mean nothing more than Snow's unhappiness._

_Suddenly, the room lit up and the walls were no longer black... they were mirrors. The room was filled with mirrors where she could see her reflection everywhere and still there was no way out._

_"Let me out!" Snow shouted with tears in her eyes. She was tired of it; she wanted to reach her husband and daughter._

_"You're not going anywhere." A voice said._

_Snow froze. That was not the voice of her stepmother. That voice was sweet and angelic, it was the voice that she was never tire of hearing, but yet it was impossible. That beautiful voice couldn't have said those words. Snow raised her eyes from the floor to find her reflection in the mirror that was in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed a figure behind her, and quickly turned around to face the person._

_It was a small girl with blond curls and beautiful green eyes. Her features were equal to those of her daughter, but the girl couldn't be her Emma. She was wearing a black dress, and her eyes were green, but hateful. She had a smile on her face that made a chill run down her spine. She had seen that smile many times in Regina._

_"Emma?" Snow dared to ask in fear, taking a step toward the girl. Emma nodded, but said nothing. Snow smiled tremendously and started walking toward her, but when she was just about to reach out to touch her daughter, an invisible barrier suddenly forced her to retreat. "What – Emma, are you okay?" She briefly asked looking her daughter over. Emma kept her gaze fixed on her, not moving a muscle, and her eyes were filled with hate. "Emma?"_

_A black smoke formed next to her daughter, but she didn't move. Regina appeared next to Emma, with her long black dress, her hair pulled up and a mischievous smile on her face. Snow couldn't believe she was seeing her evil stepmother standing beside her little girl. She had to get Emma to safety._

_"Emma!" Snow ran to Emma, and this time, the barrier sent her flying her through the air._

_"Oh, my dear Snow... can't you see? You can't pass through," Regina said as Snow got to her feet and began walking back towards them, ready to try and pass the invisible barrier that was separating her from her daughter again, "because she doesn't want you to." Snow was left standing in place, starting to feel confusion._

_She watched her daughter's green eyes, seeing how they shone, but for some reason, there was also hatred there. Hatred, sadness, anger, and disappointment were all swelling in her eyes. Her wicked smile had disappeared, leaving her face emotionless, but her eyes were still angry. Emma finally moved and took a step forward. She lifted her hand, searching for Regina's and grabbed it tightly, just as she had always done with her mother when she was scared._

_"Emma?" Snow's voice broke as tears gathered in her eyes. She stood in place, watching the scene play out before her, shocked. Her little girl was holding Regina's hand. She _wanted_ to stay with her._

_"Just leave me alone." Emma spoke up and Snow felt a knife in her stomach. Her words were so cold. "I don't want to be with you. You don't care about me."_

_"Emma, Sweetie, what are you saying? You are my daughter." Tears starting to leave her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. "I love you."_

_"No you don't," Emma replied, sharply. "All you want me for is to break the curse. You let me go." This time, Snow could see the hatred in her eyes disappear as they filled with pain. "You let me go and I don't ever want to see you again." She shook her head slightly, and Snow felt her heart break. She took a few steps toward them, but stayed far enough away for the barrier not to deflect her._

_"Emma, you are my life. Please, don't leave me again." She moved her eyes to look at Regina, who kept her smile as her eyes sparkled with joy. Snow clenched her jaw in anger, but turned her gaze back to her daughter. "Emma..."_

_"You promised me." Emma said, letting her eyes fill with tears. "You promised to always be with me. And you weren't." Her angelic face turned emotionless again. "And you can't compensate for that."_

_Snow opened her mouth to speak but closed as soon as she saw Emma raise her eyes to Regina. She looked at Regina, who just widened her smile watching her little girl. Snow felt her stomach squirm as she watched The Evil Queen stroke the blonde hair of _her_ Emma. She looked back up to see her stepmother's eyes on her own._

_"Goodbye, Snow White." Regina said with pleasurable serenity. Snow could do no more than watch her daughter. Emma showed no signs of sadness, she just turned around as Regina did, and they both began to walk away from her._

_"No, Emma! Emma, please!" Snow shouted desperately, taking a step further. "Please, come back!" She felt a little hope when she saw her daughter stop, forcing Regina to stop with her. As the tears fell from her face, she couldn't help the thought of never seeing her precious daughter again. "Please, don't go! Don't go! I'm not going to let you go again, I'm not going to talk about the curse anymore. I will always be with you, I promise. Please, Emma, I'm sorry!" Snow voice broke. "I'm sorry ... I'm sorry for letting you go... for not being there with you... I'm sorry." She closed her eyes dropping to her knees._

_She began to hear small steps, and opened her eyes. Her little girl was walking to her. She had forgiven her, she would return to her. She didn't bother to look at Regina; she could only watch her daughter walk toward her. Emma's face was still emotionless, and for that reason Snow couldn't smile._

_Emma stood in front of her and bent down slowly. Snow sat up on her knees, with the hope that Emma could break the barrier so she could have her in her arms again. Snow furrowed her brow when she saw Regina's smile reappear on her little Emma's face again. "Apology not accepted."_

_Snow froze at that comment. Those were not her words. This was not her eleven-year-old Emma. She looked just like her daughter, but Regina had done something to her. Now, Emma hated her. She hated her and was always going to hate her; she was never coming back to her, or going to see her again. Maybe those were words of Regina, but she knew Emma really wanted to say those words. She really meant what she said. Snow once again watched Emma's eyes before she got back to her feet and turned to see Regina._

_Snow could do nothing. The words wouldn't come out of her mouth. The lump in her throat prevented any sound from coming out. Not even the screams to Regina, or the piercing cry that she wanted to let out would come. Nothing. She could only let the tears from her eyes fall as she saw Emma recapture Regina's hand, and in seconds, they were out of sight._

_Instantly, the room went dark again, but this time, Snow didn't move. She kept her eyes fixed on where her daughter and Regina had disappeared. She didn't mind being in that dark room anymore. It didn't matter... nothing did._

_Her daughter was not coming back to her. Her daughter didn't want to see. Her daughter hated her. Her daughter would never forgive her. Her daughter didn't love her._

"Is she alright?" The voice stunned her ears. A sweet voice... Emma's voice? She suddenly opened her eyes at the thought. Instead of seeing Emma, she saw her husband standing before her. She blinked a few times before getting a better look, noting the concern on his face. He was there with her... and they were not in that room. "Mom, are you okay?" The voice said again. She turned her head, hoping to find her little Emma, but instead she found the worried face of her little Sophia.

"Sophia..." Snow muttered pointing to the girl's face and touching her to see that she was real. Her brown eyes were full of concern... absolutely different of Emma's eyes in her... dream?

"Mary Margaret, are you okay?" David inquired with a frown, watching his wife in distress. She kept looking at Sophia, as if she was going to disappear at any moment. "You were crying, begging for forgiveness. What happened?"

Snow felt her eyes fill with tears as she listened to David's words and remembered her nightmare... but she didn't take her eyes off of her granddaughter. Not wanting to say anything, she took Sophia in her arms and pulled her to her body, holding her tight. She wasn't her little Emma... all this had been a nightmare, but it didn't matter, she needed a hug. Sophia was always the closest thing she had of her daughter. She always loved Sophia for being herself, but she never could not look at her granddaughter and see her daughter in her, even though they have physical differences, _they_ were her little girls. And although Sophia was her granddaughter, she could never make the same mistake she made with Emma.

She couldn't bear to have Sophia hate her, too.

"I had a nightmare." Snow said, closing her eyes and letting her chin rest on Sophia's head as she clung to her little body. "A very ugly nightmare."

"Wanna talk about it?" David asked softly, gently rubbing her back, with his other hand removing a tear from her cheek. But Snow shook her head quickly.

"No. I want to forget it." Slowly, she pushed Sophia off her body to see more of her little face. She placed her hands on either side of her face and smiled slightly. She could see that her granddaughter was very worried about her. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Sophia asked carefully. Snow smiled reassuringly and kissed her forehead hard, wrapping her back in her arms again. When she felt her granddaughter cling to her tighter, she smiled genuinely.

"I'm sorry I scared you. But it was just a very bad nightmare ... it's okay now." She let out a big sigh. "All I needed was a hug from you."

"I'm good at it." Sophia said with a small smile, causing her grandparents to laugh. Snow slowly moved her away from her again.

"Of course you are." Sophia smiled, relieved and Snow smiled back. "Why don't you go get a jacket? How about we get away from here?"

"Yeah, of course!" Sophia said excitedly as she jumped out of the bed and ran to her room.

David didn't hesitate to wrap his wife's body in his arms as soon as their granddaughter was out of sight. Snow closed her eyes enjoying his warmth, resting her head on his shoulder. He sighed gently stroking her back as Snow tried to fight the tears that threatened to fall again. She couldn't cry about this.

It was just a nightmare. Even if it was a nightmare of her worst fears.

"Sure you don't want to talk about it?" She shook her head slightly and moved away from him.

"I just – I just want to forget it." She found his blue eyes filled with concern, much like Sophia's. "It was about Emma... and Regina. You can imagine why it was a nightmare."

"Yeah, but Emma is with us now. Well… not here now, but –"

"I got it, don't worry. Which is why I don't want to talk about it, I know that... nightmare wasn't real. And it never will be." She said those words, wanting to believe them wholeheartedly. She didn't want to worry her husband, so she smiled. "It's okay, Charming, really."

"Okay..." He sighed. "I was shocked. When I went looking for you to tell you that Sophia had finished her breakfast, you were asleep. Then you began to cry, and apologize... I tried to wake you up, but I couldn't. That's when Sophia came and..."

"I'm ready!" Sophia shouted, running down the stairs. She jumped to the floor and ran to her grandparents' room. "Are we gonna go now?"

"Yeah," Snow said looking at David with a determination upon her face. He nodded slightly and leaned down to kiss her lips softly.

"I love you." He whispered, causing her to smile. She kissed him back as he rose from the bed to help her.

* * *

Snow took out her cell phone from jacket pocket to check it for the fourth time. There wasn't a missed call or even a text message. There was nothing from her daughter, and it began to worry her. She wanted to call or send her a text, but she also knew that it might annoy Emma. Snow didn't want to think that her own daughter would mind calling her, but unfortunately, things were so. They didn't have the good relationship that they had for many years in the least, but all Snow wanted was her daughter back. Their pain and anger were great, but when Emma would returned, she would try to put that aside and have her daughter back.

"Did you get to see _all_ of the dwarves?" Sophia asked with a curious grin. Snow smiled crookedly and nodded.

"They were in Granny's yesterday, before you and Emma arrived." The thought of that made her stop in her tracks to remember that her granddaughter had ran away the night before.

She had to make it clear to Sophia that she couldn't run again. She quickly recalled the feeling of despair that overwhelmed her when she realized her granddaughter disappeared. They were in a new town, and didn't know what kind of people were there. Someone could have kidnapped her. Many 'could haves' and 'what ifs' flew through Snow's head, and none of them were good. Not to mention, the fact of the increased desperation from the thought of the same thing happening to Sophia as Emma.

"Sophia," Snow said when she saw the confusion on her face, "you can't run away like that. You have no idea about the fright you gave us last night. I – I nearly had a heart attack. You were gone for _hours_. Do you know what those hours were like for me?" Sophia lowered her head, completely embarrassed and nodded slowly. "Please, _promise_ me that you will never run away again."

Sophia nodded quickly, raising her head to meet Snow's green eyes. "I promise, and... I'm really sorry that I scared you."

"I won't punish you for it this time since you promised not to do it again." She smiled. " You alsofound your mom and I _cannot_ punish you for that."

Sophia smiled crookedly and moved slightly on her feet. "Thanks. I really am sorry."

Both started walking again after a small hug. David had read in a newspaper announcement about the need for a veterinary assistant. Snow easily convinced him to go to find out about the job while they looked for the town school, and also so Sophia could get familiar with the town.

Snow took out her cell phone again and furrowed her brow. Unable to endure her concern any longer, she flipped the phone open and began searching for her daughter's number. As soon as she found it, she pressed the green button while Sophia kept isolated from her actions. She simply watched her grandmother wait for whomever she was calling to answer as she held onto her hand.

The phone started to ring, and she waited. Hoping that her daughter wouldn't reject the call after she saw whom it was. Wait; there was no reason for her to think like that. Emma didn't hate her; this wasn't her dream…was it? "Yeah?" Emma's voice came from the other side, bringing Snow to reality.

"Hey... are you okay?" She couldn't help asking with speed.

"Everything's fine," Emma said, "I'm in my apartment right now and I left my things in boxes, surely I'll be back a little later in the evening."

"Okay, that's... that's good. I – well – I just wanted to know how you were doing." Snow said with some nervousness. She felt a little silly; she was acting as if her daughter was angry with her. Although, that could actually be true. Snow wished she weren't so persecuted and so culpable.

"Yeah, I'm fine... how's it going over there?" Snow smiled lowering her gaze to her granddaughter. Sophia was observing, with a concentrated frown, each person who passed them; she was probably trying to figure out who they were in the book.

"Everything is good here. We – we just wish that you were here." There it was. She had said it. She wasn't sure if she should say it, but the selfishness in her won. That way there could be two results. One being that it would tell her daughter indirectly that they missed her. The second being, that if Emma were thinking of not returning, it would make her feel a little guilty and force her to return. It was indeed twisted, trying to make her own daughter feel guilty, but she couldn't help herself. She had to make sure she would come back

"Um, well... I'll be there later." Emma said and Snow knew she wanted to start cutting the call short.

"Yeah, well... see you later then." Snow said, trying to give a little more pressure, but not too much. Emma responded by hanging up.

"How's she doing?" Sophia's attention immediately drawn to her grandmother. Snow was a little surprised, she seemed to be very focused on identifying people... or at least she seemed to be.

"She's fine, don't worry." She smiled warmly, managing to calm any worry in her granddaughter. They continued walking until they came to Granny's. "So, let's get something to take on the road and continue to look for the school, okay?"

"Yes!" Sophia said with a smile, but her smile quickly disappeared, "But can I wait out here? Just to look at people? I want to see if I can find more people from my book."

Snow thought about the negative response Sophia would get by staring at people, but the sparkle in her eyes made her smile immediately. "Alright, but don't wonder off. Do you hear me?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Sophia said quickly. Snow smiled slightly and stroked her face before turning and walking towards the entrance of Granny's.

Sophia placed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and sighed looking in all directions. There were so many people for such a small town, but after all, the Enchanted Forest had been enormous, and they all lived there, so it makes sense.

Sophia smiled when she saw that, on the sidewalk across the way was Pinocchio's father, Gepetto. Though, he wasn't with a little boy. Of course…the curse. No happy endings, which meant no Pinocchio for Gepetto. Just as everything had to be in this town. Sophia smiled crookedly at the thought that the Evil Queen had created this curse because of her grandmother. And her grandparents escaped it with her mother. They had a happy ending... for a while. Though it was very unnerving that the whole Enchanted Forest had to pay for it.

When Emma left, their happy ending obviously crumbled with her exit. Snow White couldn't have a happy ending without her daughter. But now... now Snow White had her daughter back, and her husband, and her granddaughter. They were a family, and they were all in this town.

There was no bickering, none of them would get anywhere from that. Or so the little girl expected. Emma couldn't leave again. How would she have the courage to leave her again? Leave her parents? No, Emma couldn't do that, and Sophia believed that she would return later that same day. Emma didn't have a good relationship with her parents, and clearly, she didn't want to have anything to do with being the savior.

Sophia grimaced and shrugged thinking her mother would have to get used to that. It was her destiny; she cannot run away from it. If she wanted to run, she and her grandparents would make her see clearly how everyone needs her. How an entire town needed her. At that thought, the little brunette could almost understand Emma's reasoning a little more.

Being the savior of an entire town, of so many people, was a little scary, but it was more amazing than scary. Although, perhaps Emma was afraid because she didn't know how to do it. Sophia decided that she should start looking for a way to break this curse.

Her brown eyes looked up and her mouth opened in shock to see a man coming toward her. She knew exactly who he was, without a doubt. Without him, her grandmother wouldn't be here, nor her mother, much less her. They owed him their lives. And in a blink, The Huntsman was in front of her, looking at her curiously.

"Hey... you're new here." He stated simply, with a hand on his chin. Sophia nodded slightly. "Well... welcome to Storybrooke." Sophia smiled tilting her head slightly.

"Thanks. Who are you?" She asked, furrowing her brow looking at his clothes. He must have something to do with...

"I am the sheriff. My name's Graham." He extended his hand with a small smile. Sophia smiled even more and took his hand warmly.

"I'm Sophia. My parents and I just moved here." Graham smiled slightly and nodded moving his hand away from her.

"I hope to meet your parents soon, then."

Sophia nodded, still smiling while Graham turned to pass her and walk toward the entrance of Granny's. Sophia turned to see him go, remembering a small, well, big detail about his history.

In order to spare her grandmother, he had to take a false heart to the Queen. When she realized that he tried to trick her, she took his heart. That man she just met... that poor man, he didn't have a heart. How could he live? She furrowed her brow wondering if he could actually love. Could he? That would be a good thing to investigate.

Sophia shrugged and turned away, walking a few steps to keep looking for people. When she turned around and took the first step without looking at what was ahead of her, someone crashed into her abruptly, throwing her to the ground.

She put on her hands on the ground and hung her head, somewhat confused by the blow. When she raised her eyes a bit, a hand was being extended to her.

"Sorry for having thrown you, but you should have watched where you were going, child!" It was a woman's voice.

Sophia nodded slightly and held out one hand to take the hand of the woman who helped her up. Once on her feet, Sophia looked down at her clothes and began to shake the dirt from them. She was wearing her favorite jacket and she wanted to clean it before her grandmother could come out and see it. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where..." She lifted her head before finishing the sentence, but to see who it was, she couldn't finish it.

She had recognized a couple of dwarves, Gepetto, The Huntsman, and more characters... she would have to be blind if she couldn't recognize the woman in front of her. She was so obviously The Evil Queen, Regina. Sophia didn't seem to be the only one surprised. The brunette in front of her was just as if not more surprised than she was. Her brown eyes were wider than she'd ever seen anyone's and her mouth was hung open in surprise. She seemed to be looking at her like she was a ghost, or as if she were the most horrible thing in the world. Regina had taken a few steps back.

Sophia was thoroughly shocked, but she didn't react that way. She was a little frightened by this woman. She had been very evil –she was through and through– she had always wanted to destroy her grandmother, she had tried to take her heart, and she had ruined the happiness of many people. She was a woman to fear... but why was the Evil Queen just as shocked and terrified to see her?

"You..." Regina murmured totally incredulous. "This... this is impossible." She shook her head, trying to believe her words.

Sophia was brave, but she didn't like the look she was getting from this woman and her grandmother had yet to return. She couldn't do anything but walk a few steps back, as Regina started doing. Before Sophia do what wanted to do, Regina did it first. Completely shocked and surprised, the brunette queen turned and practically ran from her.

"Sophia?" Snow left Granny's with two covered hot chocolates in each hand. She walked to her granddaughter and stood in front of her, holding out a drink. Her granddaughter's face was completely blank, as if she had just seen a ghost._ Was she shocked? Confused? Shocked? _"Sophia? What's wrong?"

It took a few minutes for the little brown eyes to flash up to find her green eyes. She moved her mouth without a word, until finally, she swallowed hard and found the words. "I – I met the Evil Queen. And…" Sophia furrowed her brow as if she was more confused, "she ran away from me."

Snow looked very seriously at Sophia as she processed her words. _She had met Regina. And she had run away from her? How this was possible? Regina had never been intimidated by anyone, especially not by a little girl... oh. That was the problem._

She never thought it was a problem, but it was clear that no one knew, except her and well, Regina. The resemblance was incredible that Sophia had with her when she was a little girl, as well. Sophia looked identical to her, except for her eyes. If she hadn't taken Emma's eyes, she would look exactly like her, there would be no physical difference between her and her granddaughter.

As she watched Sophia grow, she couldn't believe how similar her granddaughter was with her, but maybe it was a sign. She always felt very proud of it, but now it was just one big problem.

They were in a town created by Regina. It had all started when she was a little girl of Sophia's age. She hadn't thought about Regina's reaction when she saw Sophia, but clearly, it was understandable what she had done. Now, that doesn't take away the fact that maybe that was dangerous. Regina hated her, no doubt about it, but seeing Sophia... she would always see herself in her granddaughter, and that wasn't going to be _any_ good.

* * *

**Hey, y'all! First of all, I want to thank Mere-Brennan because she's my new Beta and she did a great job! Thank you so much! :)**

**And here's Regina. She has not appeared so much, but she's here. And she's important in this story, too, trust me.**

**And I hope you have understood the concept that Sophia is like a young Snow except for her eyes. Snow's eyes are green, and Sophia's eyes are brown. It's like Sophia is the true Bailee Madison. I love how this girl acts, and at first I thought Emma's daughter could be like a little Emma, but then I thought about her and I thought it would be cool to change a little the scheme and that it would be great for the story itself.**

**Snow's Nightmare I hope has been clear about why she dreamed that... and what do you think about that Emma is in Boston? You really think she's coming back so easily?**

**Thank you very much for your reviews! All followers... can you let me to review? I'd love to see what all of you think!**


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